Trap-setting device.



i J. J,- SGHOFIELD.

TB'A P SETTING DEVICE. I LZPLIULTIOH FILED 11H. 18, 1910.

Patented 112111.17, 1911.

Application filed January 13, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT oniu'o.

TRAP-SETTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911. eel-m1 No. 537,963.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES J. Sonormno, citizen of the United States, residing at Martinsville, in the county of Morgan and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Trap-Setting Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in devices for assisting in the setting of spring-steel traps.

The principal object of the invention Is to provide a device for the purpose descrlbed, which can be operated quickly without any danger of injury to the hand of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for setting steel traps, which is simple in construction, easy of manipulation, and cheap to manufacture.

VVit-h these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated int-he accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details ofconstruction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to with out departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure l is a perspective view showing the device applied to a spring-steel. trap. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the trap-setting device, and Fig. 3 is a sectional. view, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and "showing the spring associated therewith.

Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing. a

Referring to the drawing, the numerals 4-4 indicate the jaws of an ordinary springsteel trap, the said trap also comprising a spring 5, a base 6, lever or bait support 7, and a locking-pawl 8 for the lever.

The invention comprises a pair of spaced pivoted upper and lower clamping members 9 and 10 respectively, which are preferably formed of metal rods. The body portions of these members form outwardly curved handles 11 and 12 respectively. The lower member 10 is bent outwardly near the other end at right-angles, and then backwardly upon itself to form a substantially solid loop or support 18, the end or bend thereof being bent upwardly to form a stop 14, the said loop and the stop being offset from the lower member. The rod is then bent upwardly at substantially right-angles to the loop and the handle 10 to form a vertical arm 15, and

the free end 16 thereof is bent at right,

angles thereto and in the direction of, and directly above the said loop 13. The said end 16 is threaded at its extreme end, and is provided with an integral circmnferential shoulder 18, located intermediate of the said arm 15 and the threaded end 16. The upper clamping member 9 is bent to form an eye 19, which is fulcrumed on the end of the other member, between the shoulder 18 and the end 16 thereof. This member terminates beyond the eye 19, in a depending clamping foot 20 which is preferably slightly curved, and arranged at an inclination with. respect to the said member 9. The extreme end 21 of the foot 20 is flattened, and is arranged above, and terminates short of the loop or support 13. This member is secured in place upon theend 16 of the lower memliier, by a nut 22 or other suitable fastening means.

'In operation, theloop 13 of the lower memberlO is positioned under the spring 5 of the trap, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the handles 11 and 12 of the tool being suflicient-ly long to extend past the end of the trap, and the stop ll of the support 13, serving to keep the spring in its proper relation. The flattened end 21 of the clamping foot 20 is arranged upon the upper portion of the spring 5, in order that by compressing the upper member 9, the foot 20 will cause the spring 5 to be easily compressed, whereby the trap may be expeditiously set and without any injury to the hands of tlie operator. It will be furthermore observed that the lower member 10 is'relatively stationary, and that the upper member 9 is pivotally mounted thereon, the said member acting as a lever for the clamping foot, 20.

What I claim is:

1. A trap setting device comprising a pair of spaced pivoted members, each having a handle adapted to be jointly gripped by the hand when setting the trap, one of the members being relatively stationary and provided with an outwardly extending ofiset support to engage beneath the lower part of the spring of the trap, the other member being pivoted on the relatively stationary member above the support and provided with a foot adapted to bear upon the upper leaf of the spring for compressing the spring of the trap.

2. A trap setting device comprising a pair of spaced pivoted clamping members, one of the members being relatively stationary and provided at one end with a vertical arm, and at the bottom of said arm with an offset support to slip under and engage around the spring of the trap, said support being provided with a stop, the other member being pivoted on the arm of the relatively stationary member above the support and provided with a depending foot which terminates short of, and is adapted to coact with the said support, for compressing the spring of the trap, both of the said members being provided with co-acting handles to be gripped by the hand.

3. A trap setting device comprising a pair of spaced pivoted clamping members respectively formed of metal rods, one of the members being relatively stationary and comprising a handle, the member at one end being bent outwardly and then inwardly to form a loop for supporting the spring of the trap, the bend of the loop being bent upwardly to form a stop for the spring, the member then being bent upwardly at substantially right-angles to the loop to forman arm, the end of the member beyond the arm being bent at substantially right-angles thereto, and arranged directly above the said loop, and a movable member including a handle, pivotally mounted on the end of the stationary member, the said movable member being provided with a depending foot which terminates short of, and is adapted to co-act with the said spring support, for compressing the said spring of the trap.

4:. A trap setting device comprising a pair of spaced pivoted clamping members respectively formed of metal rods, one of the members being relatively stationary and comprising a handle, the member at one end being bent outwardly and then inwardly to form a loop for supporting the spring of the trap, the bend of the loop being bent upwardly to form a stop for the spring, the member then being bent upwardly at substantially right-angles to the loop to form an arm, the end of the member beyond the arm being bent at substantially right-angles thereto and arranged directly above the said loop, the said end of the member having an integral circumferential shoulder located intermediate of the arm and the extreme end thereof, a movable member including a handle bent near one end to form an eye which is arranged on the end of the stationary member and adjacent the shoulder, the said member terminating beyond the eye in a depending foot, the end thereof being flat-- tened and terminating short of and arranged directly above the spring support of the relatively stationary member, and means for retaining the members in their operative relation.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiiXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES J SCHOFIELD.

Witnesses:

ABEL P. SHIELDS, ALVA COFFEY. 

